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Two suggestions:
On war try searching "just war theory" it is a rather extensive field of study. I have a pretty good article in one of the ethics books I use for Debate research, I could scan the article and e-mail it to you.
In terms of government confiscation, I would look to the social contract philosophers. The social contract basically assumes that when individuals enter society (people under governmental rule), individuals agree to give up some rights in exchange for protection from the government.
For example, without government to hold me back, I can freely go and steal neighbor's newspaper. My neighbor might respond by kidnapping my cat. I might respond by burning down his house. As you see, it just escalates. However, in society, my neighbor loses the right to enforce his own personal form of justice (kidnapping my cat). Instead, the government will decide if I acted wrongly and then take action (fines, jail time, etc.).
Another protection the government provides is protection from foreign enemies. In short, we pay taxes and the government provides the army and diplomats to make sure that we are safe from invasion. Here the social contract directly relates to property. I give up some of my property (usually in the form of money) and the government takes it (in the form of taxes) so that the government can protect me.
When it comes to property, John Locke wrote that property was one of man's inalienable rights (Life, Liberty, and Property). But remember that we give up some of our rights so that we can all enjoy the protections of the government. When we do something immoral, the government can sanction us for our bad behavior (fine us). It's part of the contract.
Sorry this is a bit confusing, but in short, we expect the government to protect us and we have to pay for that protection. Therefore the government gets to take our stuff.
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Most Subtle Official Straightman of the Laughing Hyenas -- Grammarian Brigade.
"The only medicine for suffering, crime, and all the other woes of mankind, is wisdom." -- Thomas Huxley
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